Simon Jordan has admitted he “admires” Leeds United but believes they are gambling on their Premier League future. For the second season running, the Whites are embroiled in a relegation dogfight.
Leeds have 23 points from 26 games - the same figure accumulated at this stage last year. Sitting 19th with just one win from 13 games, United face an uphill battle to retain their top-flight status.
The future of the club remains in limbo, with the San Francisco 49ers understood to be aiming for a full takeover by 2024. However, the huge financial repercussions of relegation could scupper those plans.
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Former Crystal Palace owner Jordan has confessed to holding a soft spot for Leeds and their supporters - calling the club a “potential powerhouse” with the right investment. He told talkSPORT: “I am a great admirer of Leeds United as a football club. I think they are a potential powerhouse of a football club with this passionate fan base steeped in great history and achievements in the past.
“But, to my mind, it (decisions by board) doesn't make a lot of sense. There’s also this kamikaze style of football they play that, sometimes, you do have to rein it back in a little bit every now and again.
“It’s great to be the team other people want to watch because you do want to watch Leeds United. They are a very interesting side to watch. They're a very engaging side but, when you're struggling in the first season, you're then struggling even worse in the second season… if you keep flying close to the sun, you're gonna get burned in the end, aren't you?
While Jordan also questioned the decision-makers at Elland Road, he cannot understand how the current Leeds squad are battling relegation. He added: “You would have thought that, with some of the players they've got there, and they haven't spent enormous amounts of money (that they wouldn’t be in a relegation fight). There's so much going on behind the scenes.
“You hear about players that are being sold by one particular part of the football club that the other part of the football club may not want them to sell, and around you go.”
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